Likely identifications:
back: Martin, Lula; front: Sarah Ethel, Daniel,
James William, Nancy Jane (Brown)
Daniel
Walker
was one of the three children of Isaac
Walker, the others being Joseph King Walker and
Rachel (Walker) Wolfe, who "went West" according
to Old Time Tazewell, with "west" meaning
Newton and McDonald Counties in Missouri in this instance.
The exact timing of the move is unknown, although this
and other letters of the period seem to suggest that
they had not been in Missouri for a long period of time.
This letter was written to his father, who still lived
on Straight
Creek in Claiborne County. In it, he sings the praises
of Missouri and encourages Isaac to take an offer that
Isaac apparently had had on his land and move to Missouri.
He never did.
Letter and photos courtesy Bill Walker and transcribed
by Roma A. Walker. Click any page or photo for a larger
version.
Indian springs april 1st 1888
Dear father I received your letter was glad to
hear from you[.] this lea[v]es us all well and
hope it may file you all enjoying the same blessing[.]
it is fine warm weath[er.] peaches are blooming
out[,] people have commenced planting corn[.]
I expect to plant some this week[.] pottatoes
are pretty well al[l] planted[.] we are not done
gardening yet[.] what bees I have and my hogs
are dong well[.] we are expecting a young calf
all the time[.] the fruit is all right yet if
it hits right we will have plenty[.] we have curious
hens[;] they have been laying a long time and
won[t] go to setting at all[.] we have got some
geese[;] they are laying to. we have not fished
any yet[;] we are waiting for you to come and
fish.
you can sit in the door and fish in ten foot
water if your pole is long enough and catch fish
6 feet long if you happen to get hold of an eel[.]
wheat looks very well[.] oats is just coming up[.]
starl [Sterling Wolfe, his brother-in-law] and
sam [unknown unless his brother Samuel Brown Walker
lived in Missouri at some point] is going to have
part of their crop on this place and part on john
grimes [unknown] upper place[.] we have a meeting
some where roung every sunday three miles to town
and three miles to mill[.] wheat is 75 potatoes
50 corn 50 sweet tatoes 100 oats 50 cts per bushel
eggs 8 and 10 cts dosen butter 15 cts per pound[.]
goods of all kind are near about the same here
they are there[.] you had better take what you
have been offered for your place and come out
here[.] you can do a heap better with the money[.]
it would be good for your health[.]
McDonald Co., Mo.
direct your letter to Indian springs
we are going to have fast train here this summer[.]
indian springs three miles from here is going
to have a rail road and a hundred and fifty thousand
dollar hotell two steamboats and plenty of work
for a thousand men[.] we will have stiring times[.]
grass is coming fast[;] we wont have to feed much
longer[.] lula and martin [his oldest living children;
in fact, his only living children up to this point]
out hunting eggs[.] the baby one [Martin presumably,
unless there are unknown children] is a great
big fat thing[.] I think if you was out here you
could enjoy yor self splendid[.] there is plenty
of good homestead land close here[.] I havent
been to see any yet[;] I want to see some of it
soon[.]
Martin says tell granpap he can ride the mare
to the pastu[re] and turn her out and go home
all by his self and lula washes the dishes and
packs the wat[e] for her ma. we have all been
very healthy since we have been here hardly ever
hear of any body having chills[.]
Jane says tell ma she sent off 18 doz eggs 15
gllons ofpickles last week 10 1/2 cts a doz 20
cts a gal for pickles[.] tell granma I wou[ld]
like se her mighty well and persuad ma to come
with you when you come out here[.] I cant thing
else to write so I will close by requesting yo[u]
to write soon and often from your children
